


How To Not Realise You Are Being Adopted By An Eight Year Old Girl

by BookofMac



Category: Jack West Jr Series - Matthew Reilly, REILLY Matthew - Works
Genre: Becoming a family, Bonding, Developing Friendships, Families of Choice, Gen, Guns, Late Night Conversations, Tea, becoming a team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:04:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6828742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookofMac/pseuds/BookofMac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AKA: Four time that Stretch didn’t realise he was becoming a member of Lily’s family and one time he figures it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How To Not Realise You Are Being Adopted By An Eight Year Old Girl

1

Archer was convinced that this would just be a job. It had to be, he would not let himself get attached to this little group. He would be amicable, he would be a polite as he could but he would have anything more than a working relationship with this strange little group of people.

That being said, he could not understand why their charge was trying to be his friend.

She was a child but most of the children he knew where those of his cousins and they left him along left him alone. Meanwhile, Lily would watch him shoot his Baretta like she was watching someone paint. It was a little disconcerting.

“You’re really good at this.” She commented one day. Archer grunted in response, and loaded another round.

“Is that why your called Archer when your name is Ben? Because you can hit this targets? Zoe was call Bloody Mary for a while, no one will tell me why beside ‘ when you’re older’, so now I call her Princess, same with everyone else now. I did that for Pooh Bear and Big Ears and Fuzzy and Noddy too.” She continued to babble on as Archer lined up another shot, then looked behind him seeing that one of her ear buds had fallen out.

He sighed, put his gun down safely and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Lily, you need to put the ear bud back in or you will get deaf.”

“Oh, sorry!” she exclaimed. Archer felt a small tug at his heart, looking at the startled eight year old.

“You know what, don’t worry about it.” Lily stopped fussing and looked at him, alarmed at his statement.

“Oh no! you can keep practicing! I have a-"

“I’ve done enough practice for today, I’m heading inside because I haven’t had lunch and I’m sure there are leftovers for me, I’ll walk with you once I’ve done this.” He said as he expertly dismantled his rifle, he had learnt early one that he was in fact not allowed to do so in the kitchen.

“Yeah, I told Dorris to leave you a sandwich when I was helping her cook earlier!” She exclaimed, skipping along beside him.

 

2

He woke up at midnight for border patrol at 1:00 am, which was probably the most detested job on the farm, but Archer did take some pleasure in being the only one in the house that was conscious.

He got changed and went to the kitchen to make himself something warm before going on patrol because it got cold at night on the farm, much colder then he liked. However, on this early morning, he saw a figure moving behind him. Archer groaned internally before turning around, expecting to see Doris or Zahir but instead saw Lily, barefoot in thick, pink flannel pyjamas and treading softly behind her.

“Isn’t it a little late for you to still be up little one?” he asked softly, his voice still rough from sleep.

Lily jumped, a light thud on the polished wood floor, not realising that she had been seen.

“Sorry, it’s just…” she trailed off.

“Can’t sleep?” Archer supplied

“Yeah.” She said sheepishly, looking down at her toes

“Come on then, I’ll make you a drink and then you can go to bed.” He walked into the kitchen and flicked on the stove light to provide something for him to see.

“Why would giving me a drink help?” she asked, hopping on one of the tall bar stools

“Trust me I know from experience,” he said, after getting a blank look he elaborated “My mother would make me a small cup of tea when I was a child.”

“Oh, okay.” She said. Lily rested her head on her hands as she watched Archer put the kettle on to boil while grabbing a small mug and a thermos from one of the shelves.

“How do you take your tea?” Archer asked,

“One sugar and milk, like Zoe.” She said. Archer nodded, grabbing the milk from the fridge, momentarily blinding the room.

“Half a tea spoon of sugar it is then,” he saw Lily huff, then continued with a hint of fondness, “We can’t have you bouncing off the walls on a sugar high, now can we? I don’t think that Captain West would be to happy with me.” He smirked conspiratorially, Lily giggle softly

“Okay. How do you take yours?” She asked while the kettle’s rumbling reached it’s crescendo and clicked.

“Three sugars and black at this time of the morning, couple extra tea bags too. Keeps be warm and awake.” He said as he carefully poured in the hot water into both of the cups, leaving them to brew for a few minutes

“That makes sense.” Lily said, nodding.

Archer worked in silence for a while, steeping the tea then adding the milk to Lily’s small cup.

“And here you go.” He said giving her the mug.

“Thank you.” She said, smiling then sipped at the drink gingerly. Archer looked on with a kind smirk.

“It wont burn you, drink up.” He said, taking a quick sip of his own drink, enjoying the taste of the scalding liquid.

Lily finished her drink quickly and wiped her forearm across her mouth, then grinned broadly at Archer.

“Thank you again.” She chimed.

“Don’t worry about it, just make sure it’s not a nightly thing. Now head off to bed, before Sky Monster gets up because that is a scary sight.”

“Okay, I’ll see you when I get up right?” Lily asked.

“Only if you go to bed right now.” Archer replied with a sardonic smile, no venom in his tone.

“Good night then.” She said, jumping of her stool and plodding her way to her room.

“Sleep well.” Archer replied.

 

3

“What _are_ you doing?” Archer asked, as Lily lay on the ground looking at the television, her foot pointing out at a strange and some what unnatural angle

“I’m doing my ballet stretches.” She stated, changing her position to stand and lift her right leg at a 180 degree angle with her leg. Her arm was resting on a chair leg which wobbled as tried to remain still.

“Do you need help?” He asked, looking at her makeshift dance studio.

“If you could hold this chair before I-” she cut herself off as she made a cry and curled on the ground, grasping her leg.

Archer jumped over the couch to get to her, stretching to reach her. He caught her before she hit the ground.

“Oww!” She exclaimed, grasping her calf. Tears weld up in her eyes, and started to fall down her cheeks 

“Oh shit are you okay?”

“Swear ja- ahh, ow!” Lily exclaimed. 

“Okay so not that hurt,” that got him a glare “You probably just pulled a muscle because you have gone to fast through your stretches.”

“It still hurts!” She said through gritted teeth, her small frame rocking a little bit.

“Okay, um, can you stand up?” He asked, moving away from her to give her room to stand.

“I think so.” Lily said, standing up slowly, using Archer as support.

“Good, so walk with me for a bit and you can plant your foot on the kitchen tiles, it’ll make you feel a bit better.” He said, walking alongside her, carefully guiding her. Her head barely came up to his shoulder while she was hunched over. It was strange for him to see her like that

“Alright.” She said walking with him, limping alongside him.

They made their way to the kitchen and Archer lead Lily to stand against the island bench.

“No, place your foot flat, you’ll roll your ankle like that.” He said while she got settled.

“Okay.” She said, placing her foot down flat, whimpering slightly.

Archer watched her carefully as her face became untwisted with pain. The dried tear lines under cheeks where wiped away but her forearm.

“If you want me to, we can run through a few more stretches so this doesn’t happen again.”

“That would be nice.” Lily said, smiling a small grin, Archer returned it with one of his own.

“You should be able to walk now, let me know when you feel better okay.”

“You wont tell anyone right?” She asked, a look of something that wasn’t quiet fear in her eyes. Archer stopped to think.

“Tell you what, I’ll only bring it up if it happens again, deal?”

“Deal.” Lily said, smiling at him, Archer felt a warmth in his chest.

 

4

“I figured out a new nickname for you.” Lily told him at dinner, Archer almost choked on his drink.

“I think that I’m okay with the one I have.” he said softly as the eyes of the rest of the team fell on him. Zahir's judging while everyone else watched with a twinkle of 

“No you need a new one, I’ve given everyone else a new nickname.”

“Beside Sky Monster.” Archer stated dryly, Lily made a dismissive hand motion.

“He gave me my nickname, so I balances out.” She said, shrugging at the obviousness of her logic. Sky nodded with approval.

“Right.” Archer said. He started to continue eating his dinner when Lily interrupted.

“Yeah, do you want to know your new nickname?” She asked, batting her eyelashes in a way that only Zoe could have taught her. Archer sighed.

“Why not?” he muttered to himself “What is it Lily?”

“Stretch.” That caused a few chuckles from around the table, but Archer giving Enrique and Liam a withering look, quelled the sound.

“Why did you glare Big Ears and Noddy, Stretch?” Lily asked, while chewing.

“Well, um,” He paused, trying to think of a way to phrase this that would not dig him into a hole. “You see, sometimes people think things are funny because they think the word might mean something that it doesn’t.”

_Pleasedon’taskpleasedon’taspleasedon’taskplea-_

“What would the word ’Stretch’ it mean to them?” This caused everyone to smother grins, except Jack, who looked on with a cool. _Stoic bastard,_ Stretch thought bitterly

Liam and Enrique were trying not to laugh and failing miserably, while Sky gave him an encouraging thumbs up.

“Why don’t you ask them, I don’t read minds.” He said, smirking at the two younger members of this team. Their eyes widened in fear as the problem of Lily’s endless questioning.

“Nice going there Stretch.” V.J said from beside him “You’ll be a part of the family in no time.”

Stretch had to fight to keep his composure as that statement sunk in.

_Part of the family._

The MOSSAD would not be happy

 

+1

He was done. Finished.

He actually cared for this kid, this eight year old girl and he hadn’t even realised it. He was compromised, involved, _Caring_

 _How has this even happened? I was so careful!_ _How am I going to do this mission now?_ He thought while he looked up at the ceiling of his room. He looked closely at the patterns in the discolourations of the plaster, treating them like personal Rorschach inkblot test.

He heard a knock at the door.

“Stretch?” Lily asked, voice muffled by the wood.

“Come in Lily.” He said, continuing to stare up at the ceiling.

She opened the door carefully, peering in and quirking her head to the side in confusion about his position.

“It’s lunchtime. Are you coming?” She asked.

“Yeah, just give me a second.” Stretch said then Hauled himself off of the bed.

“You seem quiet today.” Lily stated

“I am normally.” He said simply

“No, more then usual, are you okay?” Lily asked, big brown eyes almost daring him to lie.

“I’m… I’m okay, just thinking about things.” He stated, not a lie, not a truth if he was being totally honest. A half truth. Not a lie.

“What kind of ‘Stuff’?” Lily asked, raising an eyebrow, the way Zoe would, at the statement. He chuckled.

“You are just full of questions aren’t you?” he replied, trying to deflect but to no avail.

“That wasn’t an answer.” He paused to think about that. What could he say to her? That he was thinking of the MOSSAD, what might happen when this is all over and how badly leaving would hurt? That he would be able to complete his mission? No, he would never tell Lily this, ever.

“I was thinking about what might happen for your birthday, you’re almost nine now right?” A lie but not one that was going to hurt her. God forgive the fool that hurts her.

“Yeah! I can’t wait! I’m hoping for a really big cake that we can all share, but I get the biggest bit because it’s my birthday.”

“I’ll be sure to support you in that claim.” Stretch said dryly, Lily beamed at him.

“Great! I’ll make sure that everyone else gets the same amount, you know except me.”

“I understand,” He said, nodding. They walked to the kitchen together in a tranquil silence .

He felt… something. It wasn’t warmth, but it was comforting like a hug and just as enveloping. Fondness, maybe affection, but then he realised.

Family, this was a family. And he was apart of it.

This would take a while to get used to.

 _Fuck it_ , he thought, _I’m gong to enjoy this while it lasts._

**Author's Note:**

> You know that tumblr post about the Villain becoming the Weird Uncle? That is basically this fic. 
> 
> The transition from Archer to Stretch is also very cool imo and it was never really explored so I thought 'what the hell, lets do this instead of my religion essay.'
> 
> The friendship between these two is so very important because Stretch is really the first new person that Lily ever meet an I like the idea that she is immediately ready to have a new brother/cousin/uncle/friend. That being said every relationship in the books are important to me. 
> 
> Families of choice are my Kryptonite. 
> 
> Also, for those of you who might not know, a bingo card I made as a prediction for the next book was found by Matthew Reilly and put on his Facebook which was AMAZING, it really made my day when that happened.
> 
> Please feel free to review and send Kudos because I am pretty sure that is WAY ooc in some of but I really like this so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯.


End file.
